One of the challenges depicted by the video is the shortages of staff and heavy workload. As such, the preceptors have many patients on their hand. This limit the time preceptors can have with the students to teach and guide the learners on different clinical procedures or how to offer adequate care to patients. Additionally, as shown in the video, the nursing faculty has not designed a proper work schedule whereby a nurse instructor has a definite time to report for the shift and offer guidance to the students. In this video, the preceptor has just been called in without given adequate time to be introduced to the students and the learners to know their instructor in person. Another challenge is whereby the management fails to include the students in the patient care plan. This gives nurse instructors hard time in accommodating students in the care process since the preceptors have no prior knowledge they will be working with students in a particular case. The challenges mentioned above calls for collaboration among the concerned parties in order to have proper work plans and equitable distribution of work.
Time pressures
In addressing this challenge, it is important for the preceptors to work together with nursing faculty and students to design work schedules so that each party can know when and where they need to be at a particular time. As such, it is vital for the instructors to plan their teaching activities to ensure they have addressed all the areas required in a given time frame (Gaberson et al., 2015). Moreover, the nurse instructors should request for equitable workload distribution to ensure each instructor has enough amount of work he/she can handle as he/she guides the students on how to attend to patients.
Fewer patients
In the case of fewer patients, the instructors can incorporate written case studies and plastic models (Billings & Halstead, 2012). As such, this will help instructors to provide students with an opportunity to analyze and discuss clinical problems in the case studies and provide solutions. In addition, the instructors can use models to demonstrate and educate students on a particular health issue.
Shorter hospital stays
Shorter hospital stays may not give the instructors enough time to teach students adequately concerning a particular patient or scenario. Thus, patient health records can be used by preceptors to educate students the progress made by the patient during the hospitalization period. As such, instructors can utilize the records to explain to the students why certain measures were taken from the time of admission to the discharge instructions.
Limited availability and variety of learning opportunities
In the case of availability of limited learning opportunities, nurse instructors can instruct the students to allocate themselves roles in a certain hypothetical clinical scenario (Billings & Halstead, 2012). Here one student can play the role of a nurse and another one as a patient. The instructor will play the role of a facilitator and provide guidelines or support where it is needed (Gaberson et al., 2015). The role play will give students opportunity to think critically and improve their decisions skills. As such, these skills prepare students mentally to possible problems which they can encounter later in life as practitioners.
The varied needs and abilities of students
When an instructor is faced with students with different capabilities and interest it is advisable to for the preceptor assess the students to identify these needs and distribute work according to each student preferences, need and expertise. This will provide students with an opportunity to exploit their talents and learn. In addition, the instructor should use different teaching methods such as demonstrations, lecture notes, tutorials, images and discussions to ensure every student benefit (Billings & Halstead, 2012).
Reference
Billings, D. M., & Halstead, J. A. (2012). Teaching in nursing: A guide for faculty (4th ed.). St. Louis, Missouri: Elsevier Saunders.
Gaberson, K. B., Oermann, M. H., & Shellenbarger, T. (2015). Clinical teaching strategies in nursing. New York: Springer Pub.
